'Buck Sergeant' Training Program: 50th SFS support Guardian, Airmen development

Published Dec. 2, 2024
By Keefer B. Patterson

PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) -- Acknowledging the U.S. Space Force’s mission, structure and unique demands, Space Operations Command leadership developed the Guardian and Airmen Development Program to foster a new generation of leaders. The program equips Guardians and Airmen with the necessary skills and traits to meet the current and future demands of the Space Force.

From monthly functional cross-organizational training with other military installations to mentorship and professional development opportunities surrounding topics such as Great Power Competition, contingency operations and mission command, units under Space Base Delta 1 are wasting no time supporting the GADP campaign.

The 50th Security Forces Squadron, located at Schriever Space Force Base, is on such a path.

“[GADP] is a program started by Chief Lloyd [SpOC senior enlisted leader] to equip younger Airmen and Guardians with the knowledge that’s integral to them developing their leadership skills,” said Air Force Master Sgt. Bryan Nelson, 50th SFS operations superintendent. “We created the Buck Sergeant Training Program, which is geared towards security forces first-line supervisors, second-line supervisors and really anybody, because the information there is valuable regardless of rank.”

“We go in-depth as to what leadership looks like from a security forces standpoint — how to prioritize and execute certain tasks … These Airmen at a relatively young age can find themselves supervising five, six or seven people at one time. And it’s not uncommon, depending on where you're stationed, for staff sergeants and technical sergeants to have 20-plus people underneath them. So, how they prioritize their time and how they execute tasks is critical to avoiding task saturation and maintaining that work-life balance.”

The term “buck sergeant” refers to a legacy USAF rank established in 1976 describing a junior ranking noncommissioned officer.

At that time, USAF leaders changed the E-2 through E-4 grade structure to establish a three-tier enlisted force structure — Airman, noncommissioned officer and senior NCO. This change included an additional E-4 rank of “Senior Airman.” For the Senior Airmen to advance to the NCO “sergeant” rank — also E-4 and often referred to as “buck sergeant,” the Airman would have to meet certain criteria, including 12 months’ time-in-grade and completion of the NCO Preparatory Course,” according to A Chronology of the Air Force Enlisted Chevrons.

While the term “buck sergeant” is colloquial, it highlights the distinction between different levels of NCO ranks and the progression within the USAF's rank structure — marking the transition from a junior Airman to a more formal leadership role. The 50th SFS “buck sergeant” program targets young leaders taking on supervisory responsibilities and addresses a range of development topics beyond leadership and management, such as counseling, progressive discipline, writing, interpersonal communication, etc.

“Once you go to Airman Leadership School, you come out and are ready to supervise — but you’re probably not equipped 100% with all the information that you need,” said Air Force Master Sgt. Edward Wilson, 50th SFS operations and training section chief. “That’s where we come in with this Buck Sergeant Training Program. Development in each career field is different, so we specifically looked at our career field to figure out what we need to enhance. We aim to fill in gaps where information may have been lost in translation or missed. This is to make sure we have our people humming on all cylinders.”

“There’s a saying, ‘each one teach one’ … That’s honestly what we’re doing. We’re trying to make sure that the knowledge that we have, collectively, is passed on to the next generation. And our expectation for them is they don’t harbor that information, and they continue to share it with their subordinates.”

Looking ahead, program leaders aim to expand the initiative, both in scope and impact, paving the way for broader development opportunities.

“I think this program is super beneficial,” said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Eddie Jones, 50th SFS unit deployment manager. “If we can get it off the ground the way we intend, we would like to grow this program and even venture out of our career field — inviting other squadrons, other career fields to take part and share that wealth of information. I think that'll build connections… It's a ‘one team, one fight’ type of deal where we have these common goals, and the most effective way of getting to those goals is to train and learn together.”

To learn more about Space Base Delta 1 and the 50th SFS, visit here.